10th, Frank, Jno, Geo., & I cut corn for Mr. Smith. Frank & I cut 35 shocks. Got 7¢ per shock.
Mr. Smith could be John Michael Schmid, the nearby neighbor, or it could be Robert Smith, the Bench boys’ brother-in-law. According to the CPI Inflation Calculator site, $2.45 (35 shocks x 7 cents a shock) in 1900 has the equivalent purchasing power of $73.50 in 2018. Divided by Frank and Jesse (he didn’t mention how many shocks John and George cut and tied), that’s $36.75 each in 2018 dollars.
